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Logan Virtanen
Logan Virtanen is a defensive tackle for the Texas Ramblers. Twitter feed: @TheFinnishLine Biography Logan was born in Seattle to a upper-middle class Finnish-American family. His father was the famous FAFF player Aleksi Virtanen, MVP Running Back and Hall-of-Famer. Being the son of a football player, he grew up in an environment saturated by the sport, and he came to naturally love the sport. Despite having to travel quite frequently, Logan was very close to his father and greatly looked up to him, never missing watching a game that his father played in. As a child he was rather social, a very kind child, and of course his favorite game to play was football. His family was Lutheran and, although he isn't a staunch believer, he still identifies as such. As he got older, his more casual playing of the game turned into a more serious interest, playing in youth leagues and beginning to show a real talent for the sport. His father was so proud of him, and both of his parents really pushed him to pursue. Logan thrived on this, and football thus took on the role of being a very important method by which he bonded with his father. Being a bigger than normal child, he excelled as a defensive lineman, and took to the position naturally. Even if it was only youth football, he took to it with the fervor and zeal of any higher level player. Aleksi's Pro-Team Bowl win in 2000 was a major moment for him as well as Logan, who could not be more proud of his father. However, tragedy struck in 2004, at the age of 11 with Aleksi's sudden death due to a stroke brought on by a lingering head injury. The loss of his father was very traumatic for young Logan, who stopped playing football. At the time, it was too painful a reminder of his father. While his mother Marte tried to help him through this troubling time, Logan was in a very dark place during this time. Going into middle school, he was a rather emotionally stand-offish boy, as a coping mechanism for his feelings. He preferred to not let people in, to guard himself. But this led to him emotionally lashing out at others, and he was known to get into fights with other kids at his school, fighting back against bullies. This would land Logan into quite a bit of trouble, even being suspended a couple times. While he meant well by this, he was destructively channeling his feelings of loss in a very negative way. The one person who noticed that these feelings could be channeled in a different direction was the coach of his school's football team, who happened to be a friend of his father's. Reaching out to Logan, he encouraged him to play, to help give him an outlet for his feelings and to help deal with his feelings. While initially reluctant to do this, as it brought up too many painful memories, it took his family and family friends (Aleksi's former teammates) to get him to try. Playing football again proved to be quite therapeutic for the young Logan, creating an outlet for his feelings. It also provided something of a support group for him and he finally made friends in his teammates. Logan continued to play football through high school, becoming regional champions in the high school leagues, and even gaining a scholarship to Seattle State University, his father's alma mater, for football. Logan grew to be a more emotionally open individual, though he is still rather stoic. He was an alright student in high school, maintaining a B average, but not entirely enthused with any academic subject in particular. Football was his main passion, and he pursued that with the most enthusiasm. He did his best to live up to his father's legacy and played in his memory, throwing all of his being into getting better and making sure he was the best player he could be. Upon entering college, he stepped up his game even further. Simply picking a degree in sports management to fulfill the need of -having- a major, he once again maintained a mostly B average. His focus was on football, and he wanted to do his best. Seattle State was fairly well known for its athletics programs, and the university's football team did very well during Logan's four years at the university, being one of the top teams in the division. Logan pushed himself to excel, wanting to make the best record he could. Because of his intervention in middle school, Logan had decided that he wanted to pursue a career in football after graduating from college. He wants to play in memory of his father, who was his biggest role model when he was very young, and to continue his legacy. In addition, football saved him from a very dark place after his father's death, and having rediscovered his passion for the sport he cannot imagine himself doing anything else. He wears his father's Pro-Team Bowl ring as a necklace to remind himself of his conviction and to always keep the memory of his father close. He wants to do right by his Hall of Famer father's legacy in the sport and continue it. Interview After a long practice on the field, what does your player prefer to eat? Logan eats all sorts of foods. He loves protein and carb-laden foods, which helps him have energy and bulk up for games, but he'll eat all kinds. While he has an appreciation for all sorts of foods and has quite the love for food, he has a particular soft spot for sushi. While fish is his favorite kind of meat, he also really enjoys beef and pork. As stated above, he likes cooking and likes to try all sorts of recipes. Though to note, while he greatly enjoys meat, he doesn't forsake vegetables and fruits. He understands the importance of a balanced diet to a pro athlete and definitely doesn't fall for the 'pred' rhetoric. If you asked your linefur, "What do you do in your free time?" how would they respond? "Usually I work out, gotta stay in shape. Hitting the gym, jogging, and playing football casually with friends is generally how I do that. Other than that, I'll sometimes play video games, it can be a fun past time. Some of my teammates introduced me to it back in high school, and I gotta admit that it can be pretty enjoyable. I also play fantasy football. Finally, I sorta like cooking. Growing up my mom was busy working, so I sorta just picked up cooking to help out at home. I think it isn't that hard, and you get to make good food. Also gotta have a good diet." Football players sign contracts with teams to get paid millions of dollars. When your player is signed to a team, are they going to care more about security (staying on a team longer) or money (earning the big $$$) in their contract offer? Logan is going to care more about security. While he will appreciate the pay and is used to a somewhat more affluent lifestyle, he's not playing football for the money. Logan is playing football because he has a passion for the sport, and to continue his father's legacy. He wants to be able to play as long as he can with a solid team and hopefully win championships and MVP titles, so that he can do right by his late father. So security is going to be the most important part of a contract for Logan. What is your player doing in the off-season to improve their chances of being drafted higher? Of course, Logan did his best during the college football season to try to attract the attention of UFFL scouts. He played as best he could in order to get Seattle State University, and himself, on the radar of said scouts. In addition, he is looking for an agent to sign him on and help get him more of a presence in the draft. Finally, he's constantly working out to keep in shape and practicing to improve his game. It's a constant process with Logan. He feels he can do always do better and wants to be in the best shape he can be for the draft. Contract Info Statistics Individual Win-Loss Record Total Record: 8-9 Playoffs: 0-1 Regular Season: 8-8 Category:Defensive Linemen Category:Bear Category:Texas